Photo by Bob Brett

This year marked the 17th annual BioBlitz event that celebrates biodiversity through education and scientific research. We put on an event in June that focused on education and a July event that focused on collecting scientific data.

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Education: One of the goals of our June BioBlitz event is to fuel a connection to nature early and share with local students firsthand that they are part of a larger and fascinating world. 

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To that end we organized biodiversity presentations for 38 classes from Spring Creek (12), Myrtle Philip (15), École la Passerelle (3), Waldorf (4) and Whistler Secondary (4)—approximately 750 students. Thank you to all the students and teachers for your enthusiasm and interest!

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We hope these hands-on presentations increase a sense of wonder for students and help build appreciation for the natural world around them, which then fuels an interest in stewardship.

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For elementary schools, the topics included pollination, ecology, the web of life, forest friends, energy flow and food chains, wildlife of Whistler and nature art. Students got to look at pollinators under a microscope, see live aquatic invertebrates, go for nature walks, handle examples of decomposers, match pollinators with flowers they pollinate, and draw nature to help develop a keen eye for important details.

Classes at the high school had a very special presentation where they got to witness in-person wildlife necropsies (autopsies performed on animals).

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Collecting Scientific Data: The June team of scientists also spent time scouring different locations in the valley and documenting the species they found. Our BioBlitz field trips included Loggers Lake, the Emerald Forest Wildlife Refuge and the Brandywine area. 

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The highlight for the July team was collecting data in alpine areas, and we were so happy to partner with BC Parks to have access to Black Tusk. Scientists also collected data on Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains as well as Beaver Pond and other valley bottom locations.

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It's amazing that species documented by BioBlitz volunteers represent close to half of all records on the Whistler Biodiversity Project (WBP) master list. Results from the 2022 BioBlitz brought the total number of species documented in Whistler to 4,846. Considering that before the WBP was started in 2004 there were only 435 species recorded in Whistler, we've learned so much thanks to BioBlitz and the scientists who expand and share knowledge of the species found in the Whistler area and how they are all connected. Knowing what species are here is essential if Whistler wants to successfully protect nature.

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A huge thank you to the Whistler Community Foundation who has consistently been our major funder over the 17 years of BioBlitz. We also received generous support from the RMOW Community Enrichment Program, Tantalus Lodge, Nesters Market, Creekside Market, Avalanche Pizza, Vanessa Stark Art, Toad Hall Studios, BC Parks and Whistler Blackcomb.